Sleep, Light and Breast Cancer

It's a major discovery about the effects of sleep and light on breast cancer. Tulane's Dr. Steven Hill and his team put human breast cancer cells in laboratory rats. Some sleep in total darkness, the others with a light so dim you can barely see the difference when compared on his computer screen.

"For these rats the intensity of light was in a completely dark room and the equivalent of a little crack under the door."

But there is a difference in the growth of tumors. The big ones are from those not sleeping in total darkness. "We found that these tumors grew two and a half times as fast as those that had dark night and that when we treated them with tamoxifen these tumors were completely resistant."

Dr. Hill says it's tied to the hormone melatonin. In darkness a gland makes high levels; in light, low levels. The natural rise and fall happens day and night, but with electricity and light from electronics that especially suppresses melatonin, constant light keeps melatonin from rising at night. The same pattern was seen when the rats were given a melatonin supplement.

"Their tumor metabolism was turned off at night. These signaling pathways that drive drug resistance and tamoxifen resistance and even metastasis were turned off or down at night. They were highly sensitive to tamoxifen and the tumors regressed very rapidly."

Now if you have breast cancer or even if you don't, you're probably wondering should you take a melatonin supplement. Well, at this point, Dr. Hill cannot recommend, but he can recommend that you let your body make and regulate its own natural melatonin by getting a good night's sleep and making sure it's in solid dark.

"You make sure you get no less than 8 hours of sleep a night in a completely dark room, but if you have have insomnia and you wake up, don't get up and turn on the lights, take your tamoxifen at night before you go to bed."

Previous studies found that overnight workers have more cancer and diabetes because of longer exposure to light.

Research shows yoga can help with flexibility, strength, balance and circulation. The emphasis on breathing and mindfulness is having a significant impact on young people who have experienced trauma in their lives, too. In Health Watch, we introduce you to a young lady who is using her past - and her passion for yoga - to fuel a project that's growing beyond her expectations.

Research shows yoga can help with flexibility, strength, balance and circulation. The emphasis on breathing and mindfulness is having a significant impact on young people who have experienced trauma in their lives, too. In Health Watch, we introduce you to a young lady who is using her past - and her passion for yoga - to fuel a project that's growing beyond her expectations.

Nevada officials are hoping that additional advertisements, health fairs and other efforts will encourage more residents to sign up for subsidized health insurance during the last few days of this enrollment season.

Nevada officials are hoping that additional advertisements, health fairs and other efforts will encourage more residents to sign up for subsidized health insurance during the last few days of this enrollment season.

Survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest are low, around 10 to 11 percent, but your chances can double if not triple if CPR is performed quickly. Which is why students at Pine Middle School are so eager to learn. CPR training can be intimidating at first, but just like anything else, it takes practice. Thanks to a bill passed during the last legislative session, all Nevada students are now required to have CPR and defibrillator training before graduation.

Survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest are low, around 10 to 11 percent, but your chances can double if not triple if CPR is performed quickly. Which is why students at Pine Middle School are so eager to learn. CPR training can be intimidating at first, but just like anything else, it takes practice. Thanks to a bill passed during the last legislative session, all Nevada students are now required to have CPR and defibrillator training before graduation.

Barbara Owens was one of the original Breast Cancer 2 Bikini competitors we followed for six months on Channel 2 News. Her health recently took a turn for the worse - more than five years after she fought breast cancer. Barbara is now on hospice. There is an event this weekend to support her four children - who also lost their father.

Barbara Owens was one of the original Breast Cancer 2 Bikini competitors we followed for six months on Channel 2 News. Her health recently took a turn for the worse - more than five years after she fought breast cancer. Barbara is now on hospice. There is an event this weekend to support her four children - who also lost their father.

Southern Nevada health officials say a young child has died from the flu. The department said it's the first reported death from the flu in the county this season but among 78 cases that have been reported.

Southern Nevada health officials say a young child has died from the flu. The department said it's the first reported death from the flu in the county this season but among 78 cases that have been reported.